The Boy Allies in Great Peril Part 18

No urging was necessary. The prisoners, closely followed by their guards, made their way in the same direction. A hundred yards ahead, they were suddenly turned to the left, where they caught sight of a small house.

Into this they were marched and then on into a room at the far end of the short hall.

"Guess you'll be safe enough in there. No need to tie you up," said the voice of Robard, who came up at this moment.

The door slammed, a key grated harshly and the prisoners were left alone.

"Now what in the name of all that's wonderful do you suppose this means?"

asked Chester. "Think they are going to leave us here to starve or perish of thirst?"

"No, I guess not," was the reply. "My opinion is that Robard is up to something funny, and that he has enticed the amba.s.sador here on some pretext or another."

"What do you think he is up to?" demanded Chester.

"If I knew I'd have told you a long while ago," said Hal. "Now, if we--"

He paused as Chester held up a warning hand. The latter moved toward the wall at the far end of the room as Hal eyed him curiously. The lad placed his ear against the wall, and listened intently for a moment; then he motioned Hal and Uncle John to approach.

"The amba.s.sador and Robard are in the next room," he whispered. "I can hear them talking. Listen."

Hal and Uncle John also laid their ears to the wall.

"But," and the amba.s.sador's voice came faintly to them, "such a thing as you suggest is dishonorable."

"What has that to do with it, sir?" came Robard's reply. "Our enemies would do the same thing had they the opportunity. All's fair in war, you know, sir."

"Not that," said the amba.s.sador. "You must remember that until I have crossed the frontier I am still the amba.s.sador to Italy. I am upon my honor to leave the country peaceably."

"But no one would know you had a hand in the matter, sir."

"That is not the point," was the reply.

"But I have made all arrangements," protested Robard. "Everything is ready. The chief of the Italian general staff is in Venice at this moment, and at noon will inspect the large stores of ammunition at the northern outskirts of the city. A word from you and ammunition, chief of staff and all will be destroyed."

"I will give no such word," was the angry response. "Besides," and the amba.s.sador considered a moment, "why do you wish a word from me in this matter? It could have been done without my consent."

"Well, sir, I--we--I," stammered Robard, evidently at a loss for a convincing reply.

There came the sound of a blow, as though a hand had struck a table and the amba.s.sador's voice rose angrily.

"Robard," he said sternly, "I can see through your plot. You would have me stand sponsor for this crime, that you might disqualify me upon my return to Vienna."

"I a.s.sure you, sir--" began Robard.

"Enough," replied the amba.s.sador. "I have not forgotten that you were ever my enemy--at least until this war brought us closer together and put an end to all our disputes--at least, so I believed. Now I know better."

"Sir--" Robard began again.

"I have told you I would have no hand in it," declared the amba.s.sador.

"What is more, I forbid it! Do you understand, I forbid it!"

Now Robard's voice rose angrily.

"You forbid it!" he exclaimed. "You forbid it! Well, little good will that do. I will see that the work is carried out if I have to do it myself. And what is more, I will see that the blame falls on you. You are right. I have plotted to discredit you, and I shall do it, or my name is not Robard."

"I shall see that your actions are brought to the attention of the emperor," declared the amba.s.sador. "And more than that, I shall immediately notify the Italian authorities of your plans, that they may be on their guard."

"You will never do that," replied Robard, and his voice was so low that the listeners could scarcely catch the words.

"Robard," said the amba.s.sador sternly, "you may consider yourself under arrest."

There was the sound of a sc.r.a.ping chair and heavy footsteps moving in the room beyond.

"Another move and I shall fire," came Robard's voice.

"Man, you don't know what you are doing," came the surprised voice of the amba.s.sador.

"Don't?" said Robard, with a sneer in his voice. "I'll show you."

Again there came to the listeners' ears the sounds of heavy footsteps, followed by the noise of a struggle.

"Great Scott! They are fighting!" exclaimed Hal. "What can we do? He might kill the Amba.s.sador."

"There is nothing we can do, old man," replied Chester quietly. "We'll have to let them fight it out."

They listened intently.

The struggle continued, and occasionally the listeners could catch the sound of fierce e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns. Then, suddenly, there came the sound of a shot. Then silence, followed a moment later by a voice:

"There! I guess now you will know better than to interfere with me."

"Robard," said the voice of the amba.s.sador, very weak now, "you shall pay for this."

"I don't know whether I have done for you or not," came Robard's voice after a pause, "and I don't care. In fact, I hope I have. Now, just to blacken your reputation a bit, if I have killed you, I shall go through with my plan."

The boys could hear him stalk heavily across the room. A moment later a door slammed.

Hal rose to his feet and pa.s.sed a hand across a moist brow.

"And to think that we were unable to lend a hand," he muttered.

"He's a black villain," declared Uncle John.

"And now," said Chester, "he is on his errand of mischief. Can we do nothing to thwart him?"

"I can't see how," declared Uncle John.

"Nor I," said Hal.